Huskers Land Talented Center

Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced Tuesday that Jordy Tshimanga (Montreal. Quebec) has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to attend the University of Nebraska and play basketball for the Huskers beginning in the 2016-17 season.

Tshimanga (pronounced shuh-MAHN-gah) is a 6-foot-11, 270-pounder who has spent the last three seasons at The MacDuffie School in Granby, Mass., playing for Coach Jacque Rivera. Tshimanga, who possesses a 7-4 wingspan, was a four-star selection by Scout.com and was rated as the No. 150 prospect in the senior class by Rivals.com. He is one of three Husker signees (Isaiah Roby and Jeriah Horne) ranked in the Rivals top-150 of the class of 2016.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jordy to Nebraska,” Miles said. “While he fills a much needed position for us, he is much more than that. Jordy is a great kid who connects well with everyone. He has a dynamic personality combined with an excellent work ethic.   I love what he brings to the table as a player. He is very long and physical and will provide an interior presence for the Huskers. He loves to play in the low post, but also possesses the skill to expand his game to the perimeter. He hustles, he talks, and he works extremely hard. I believe Jordy has a bright future and we are excited to help him reach his potential. Kenya Hunter was vital in the recruiting process with Jordy and his family. Kenya’s effort and connection with them made this happen.”

Originally from the Congo, Tshimanga scored 1,123 points and grabbed 571 rebounds in his three seasons at MacDuffie, while losing over 60 pounds during his three seasons after picking up the sport. A two-time NEPSAC Class AA honoree, he averaged 18.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game during his senior season. One of his best performances of the season came against Wilbraham & Monson at the HoopHall Classic when he had 13 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks while facing Kentucky signee Wenyen Gabriel. He was also the MVP of the 2015 Hoop Hall Classic.

Tshimanga was ranked as the No. 15 prospect in New England by the New England Recruiting Report while ESPN.com rated him as the third-best prospect in the state of Massachusetts this season. He represented Canada in the 2014 NIKE Global Challenge and played in the Under Armour All-America camp in 2015. He is the No. 19 center in the country by Scout, No. 22 by 247Sports and No. 25 by ESPN.com.

Jordy selected Nebraska over a host of schools, including UNLV, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Arizona. He comes from a basketball family as his older brother Link Kabadyundi played at TCU while one of his sisters, Yasmine Bidikuindila, signed with LSU last fall.